Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft was a great night on offense. A record-setting one at that.
As NFL commissioner Roger Goodell named off each selection, history was made before the Indianapolis Colts‘ pick at No. 15 overall.
Here’s what record fell in Detroit.
NFL Draft Shatters New Mark for Consecutive Offensive Picks
Laiatu Latu was more than just the Colts’ selection at 15. He finally became the first defensive player off the board in this year’s draft.
An astonishing 14 consecutive offensive players went before Latu and any first-round defender. Per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, that’s a new NFL Draft record.
“The record of most offensive players to open a draft was seven in 2021. And now the record has been doubled: first 14 picks have all been offensive players,” Schefter posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The record of most offensive players to open a draft was seven in 2021.
And now the record has been doubled: first 14 picks have all been offensive players. https://t.co/Z59IDfzl7l
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
Who Went Before the First Defender Was Taken?
As anticipated ahead of Day 1 of the draft, the first three selections were all quarterbacks. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye all were off the board with the first three picks.
Then, Marvin Harrison Jr. emerged as the first wide receiver off the board at No. 4 overall. The Los Angeles Chargers, who had mock projections believing they would choose a wide receiver, kept the offense theme going, but went with tackle Joe Alt at fifth overall.
But from there, here’s how the rest of the first 14 picks went before the 15th selection:
- The New York Giants opted to draft WR Malik Nabers at sixth overall.
- The Tennessee Titans took Alabama OT JC Latham with the seventh pick.
- Michael Penix Jr. became the draft stunner of the night, landing at eighth to the Atlanta Falcons. Projections had Atlanta turning to defense at that spot, but the Falcons opted for a quarterback.
- J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix became the next two passers selected ahead of Latu — McCarthy going No. 11 to the Minnesota Vikings and Nix following him at No. 12 to the Denver Broncos.
- Finally, the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints — two other franchises who some believed would turn to defense — went with tight end Brock Bowers and tackle Taliese Fuaga, respectively.
Latu ended the stunning fall for the defensive side of the ball when he was picked by the Colts at No. 15 overall.
How Many Defenders Went in the First Round?
Fortunately for Latu, he won’t hold the title as the only defender taken in the first round.
The subsequent pick stayed on the theme of defense. The Seattle Seahawks opted to take Byron Murphy II out of Texas to bolster the defensive line at No. 16.
The 17th pick also stayed with defense, with the Vikings trading up to that spot in a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Minnesota took EDGE Dallas Turner and ended his fall out of the top 10.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Draft Complete Results, Recap, Order, and All 257 Picks
Jared Verse then became the final defensive player to land inside the top 20. The Los Angeles Rams snatched the Florida State EDGE at 19th overall.
Despite the stunning slide for defensive players, the back end of the first round became defense-heavy the rest of the night.
Names like Chop Robinson (21st overall), Quinyon Mitchell (22nd overall), and Terrion Arnold (24th overall) went soon after, and Darius Robinson and Nate Wiggins ended the evening as the final two defensive players selected at 27th and 30th overall, respectively.
Looking for everything you need surrounding the 2024 NFL Draft? Make sure to check out the latest draft results, overall team grades, and updated best remaining players available at every position!
